This invention relates to products designed to be worn in the inner crotch portion of an undergarment to protect the undergarment from soiling and, in particular, this invention relates to such a product for use alone or in conjunction with other sanitary napkins or panty shields to protect the undergarment from body fluids either inter or intra-menstrually.
A great number of products and suggestions exist directed to products designed to protect undergarments from soiling due to discharge of body fluid. Almost invariably, such products comprise a body fluid impervious barrier, generally on the garment facing side of the product, to prevent transmission of fluid through the product into the garment. Additionally, such product usually employ one or more layers of body fluid absorbent material, on the body facing side of the impervious barrier, to absorb and retain body fluid discharge and prevent such discharge from flowing over or around the barrier and onto the garment. Several of such prior products are also provided with pressure sensitive adhesive means disposed on the garment side of the products and provided for adhering the product to the inner crotch portion of the undergarment. An example of such product is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,677 issued to Tyrrell, Jr. on Apr. 25, 1967.
Additionally, it has been suggested that the generally longitudinally extending products be enhanced by the addition of transversely extending wings or flaps to provide further protection against undergarment soiling and a more secure attachment system. Examples of such suggestions may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,787,271, issued to Clark on Apr. 2, 1957; U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,697, issued to Rickard on Aug. 20, 1968; U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,343, issued to McNair on Aug. 25, 1981; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,876, issued to Van Tilbury on May 20, 1986.
Referring, for example, to the McNair or the Rickard patents, the flaps are provided with adhesive means and, when the central portion of the product is implaced into the inner crotch portion, the flaps are employed to encircle the crotch portion and be secured about the outer surface of the crotch portion by use of such adhesive means.
To a degree, the complexity of the design of the above described flapped panty protectors is at war with the concept of an inexpensively produced product, capable of being sold at a price low enough for the consumer to purchase and use only once and then dispose of. While the flaps certainly add to the amount of material going into a product, more importantly the addition of flaps integral with the product greatly increase the so-called "waste material" which is discarded during the manufacture of the product. Thus, for example, if one was to manufacture such products as taught in the Rickard, McNair or Van Tilburg patents with integral flaps, it would be most desirable to cut such products from sheet material or sheet-like laminates of the various layers. Unfortunately, if one attempted to do this, because of the shape of the periphery of the product, a great quantity of such sheet material would be wasted.
It can be seen that the complications in designs of the so-called flapped panty protectors have concommittently increased the difficulty in mass producing such products commercially. Accordingly, there is a need for a product which incorporates the desirable features of the flapped napkins of prior suggestions but which is capable of being inexpensively manufactured and, of course, there is a need for a process for the manufacture of such products.